Page 16 of Goalies Don't Date Ice Princesses

“Tough. I’ve only got so many ideas.”

“Guess you’ll just have to get more creative, then.”

“Oh, I’m sure I can,” he said. “But I can’t promise you’ll like them any more than the ones I’ve already come up with.”

He was probably right about that. Like all hockey players, he didn’t respect figure skaters, and I was sure he could come up with a whole host of other demeaning nicknames about my sport to call me.

“You didn’t answer my question,” I said to deflect. He raised his eyebrows like he was asking what question I was talking about. I cleared my throat. “Where were you today?”

“I was around.”

“Around where?”

“Campus.”

“Be vaguer.”

He grinned. I hated the way the sight of it made my stupid traitorous heart flutter. I wasn’t supposed to find him cute. Everyone else could, but I couldn’t. Not when he was a hockey player. Not when he was Adelynn’s brother.

“I decided to take the day off.”

“Take the day off?” I echoed.

“Yeah,” he said. “You know—play hooky. Don’t go to class, don’t go to clubs…”

“Why?”

“Why not?”

“You mean other than you’re not supposed to?”

“If you only live life doing what you’re supposed to, your life will end up very boring.”

“Is that why you keep skipping your club to watch us skate?”

He shrugged nonchalantly. “Could be,” he replied, his voice having the hint of a playful tone. “I find figure skating more interesting than any club activities.”

I tried to maintain my composure, refusing to let his playful words affect me. “Well, I must say, I find it hard to believe that a hockey player like you would find figure skating interesting at all,” I retorted, crossing my arms and giving him a challenging look.

He skated closer to me until he was just a breath away. His proximity sent a wave of electric energy through me, making it difficult to focus on anything else. His presence made my heart race, and I had to fight the urge to take a step back.

“It could be that I’ve discovered a newfound appreciation for the artistry and grace of figure skating,” he said, his voice low and suggestive. “Or maybe it’s because I’ve become intrigued by a certain Ice Princess.”

My cheeks flushed at his remark, and I couldn’t help but feel a mix of flattery and confusion. I was pretty much certain he was teasing me, but I wasn’t quite sure why.

“You’re deflecting,” I said.

“Am I?” He tilted his head, a playful glint still shimmering in his eyes. It was both annoying and intriguing how easily he could dodge my questions.

“Yes. You are.”

“Tell you what,” he said. “Let’s race. If you win, I’ll tell you where I was.”

I narrowed my eyes. “And if you win?”

“We can discuss terms once it happens.”

Well, that was an ominous answer. Part of me wanted to just let it go, to not know where he disappeared to. But my competitive side couldn’t resist the challenge. I had to find out the truth.

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